Disposable wash basin

ABSTRACT

THIS DISPOSABLE WASH OR SOAKING BASIN IS PARTICULARLY SUITABLE FOR PATIENT USE. THE BASIN IS DURABLE ENOUGH FOR REPEATED USE YET INEXPENSIVE ENOUGH TO BE DISCARDED AFTER USE BY A PATIENT, IF SO DESIRED. THE SOLID, INTEGRALLY-MOLDED PLASTIC BASIN INCLUDES A GENERALLY FLAT SUPPORTING BASE ELONGATED IN ONE DIRECTION SUFFICIENT TO ACCOMMODATE A FOREARM OR FOOT, FOUR SIDE WALLS EXTENDING UPWARDLY AND SLIGHTLY OUTWARDLY FROM THE BASE, AND A HORIZONTAL LEDGE OR SHELF INTEGRAL WITH THE UPPER EDGE OF ONE OF THE LONGER SIDE WALLS FOR SUPPORTING ARTICLES. IN HORIZONTAL CROSS SECTION, EACH OF THE SIDE WALLS HAS ITS MIDPOINT BOWED OUTWARDLY, AND ONE OF THE TWO SHORTER OPPOSING SIDE WALLS IS ABOUT HALF THE LENGTH OF THE OTHER TO PROVIDE A GENERALLY TRIANGULAR SHAPE IN BRACING THE STRUCTURE AGAINST DIAGONAL DEFORMATION WHEN THE BASIN IS FILLED WITH WATER AND BEING TRANSPORTED OR HELD BY HANDLES FORMED AT THE UPPER EDGE OF THE SHORTGER SIDE WALLS.

Oct. 12, 1971 L. F. BOST 3,611,450

DISPOSABLE WASH BASIN Filed Sept. 5, 1969 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 12, 1971 5051' 3,611,450

DISPOSABLE WASH BASIN Filed Sept. 5, 1969 2 Sheots$heet 2 I!!! H. I

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United States Patent Int. (:1. A47k 1/04 us. (:1. 4-166 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This disposable wash or soaking basin is particularly suitable for patient use. The basin is durable enough for repeated use yet inexpensive enough to be discarded after use by a patient, if so desired. The solid, integrally-molded plastic basin includes a generally flat supporting base elongated in one direction sufficient to accommodate a forearm or foot, four side Walls extending upwardly and slightly outwardly from the base, and a horizontal ledge or shelf integral with the upper edge of one of the longer side walls for supporting articles. In horizontal cross section, each of the side walls has its midpoint bowed outwardly; and one of the two shorter opposing side walls is about half the length of the other to provide a generally triangular shape in bracing the structure against diagonal deformation when the basin is filled with water and being transported or held by handles formed at the upper edge of the shorter side walls.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY The present invention relates to a wash or soaking basin intended to be discarded after use by a single patient (as in a hospital), thereby preventing cross contamination which might otherwise arise if the same basin were used by successive patients.

Heretofore, wash basins of the type used by patients in hospitals, whether they are formed of plastic or metal, have generally all had the same configuration, namely, a dish-shaped bowl having a capacity of four or five quarts of liquid and having a circular or oblong cross section increasing in diameter in proceeding from the supporting base of the bowl to the upper rim. Although such a structure provides stability and resistance against deformation when the basin is filled with water and carried because of its shape, it is somewhat cumbersome in use. That is, its shape is such that it will not easily accommodate the submersion of a foot or forearm for bathing or soaking.

The present invention overcomes these disadvantages of the presently commercially available basins by providing a one-piece, integrally molded basin formed of thin plastic which defines an elongated cavity dimensioned to accommodate a forearm on foot. Extending upwardly and slightly outwardly from the basins flat bottom are four side walls arranged in opposing pairs, one pair being substantially longer than the other. A horizontal ledge is formed integrally with the upper edge of one of the longer side walls for providing a soap receptacle which drains into the basin and for supporting other articles, if desired.

In horizontal cross sectional view, each of the side walls is slightly outwardly bowed; and one of the two shorter opposing side walls is about one-half the overall length of the other thereby to provide a non-symmetrical shape in the general form of a triangle for bracing the structure against diagonal deformation when it is filled with water and hand carried. An inverted peripheral lip or groove is formed about the entire upper peripheral edge of the basin and shelf for providing additional support;

Patented Oct. 12, 1971 and the groove adjacent the shorter side walls is formed into handles for facilitating carrying of the basin.

Thus, there is provided a disposable wash basin which, despite the economical plastic material from which it is formed and the anatomical shape which makes it particularly suitable for patient use, is nevertheless of surprisingly high rigidity and strength, permitting it to be filled and carried by hospital personnel without danger of twisting or other deformation which might result in the spilling or splashing of its contents.

Other features and advantages of the present inven tion will be apparent to persons skilled in the art from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment accompanied by the attached drawing wherein identical reference numerals will refer to like parts in the various views.

The drawing:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a wash basin according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an upper perspective view of the basin of FIG. 1 illustrating an intended use; and I FIGS. 3-5 are vertical cross sectional views of the inventive wash basin taken respectively through the sight lines 33, 44, and 55, of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Turning first to FIGS. 1 and 2, the basin is generally designated by reference numeral 10. The basin 10 is integrally formed from a single piece of thin plastic material such as polystyrene or polypropylene, it being understood that any suitable plastic material having similar properties may be used. The thickness may vary depending upon the particular plastic material selected; however, such thickness should fall within the general range of about 0.02 in. to 0.2 in.

The basin 10 includes a fiat bottom or base plate 11 for supporting it on a flat surface. Depending upwardly and slightly outwardly of the base 11 are four integral side walls designated respectively 12, 13, 14, and 15. The walls 12-15 together with the base 11 define the water reservoir (i.e. bathing or soaking) portion of the basin.

The corners between adjacent walls 12-15 are rounded, and each of the walls is outwardly bowed. That is, in horizontal cross section, each of the individual wall members 12-15 is arcuate in shape. Further, of the pair of opposing side Walls 13 and 15, the side wall 13 is much shorter in length, approximately one-half the length of the side wall 15. Thus, the side wall 12 is somewhat longer than the side wall 14; and the overall plan view of the water reservoir portion of the basin has a generally triangular shape. This triangular form taken by the side walls, in combination with the longitudinal curvature of the individual side walls, provide a rigid structure highly resistant to deformation along a diagonal, as would be the case with a purely rectilinear reservoir with rightangle corners.

The longer dimension of the reservoir portion of the basin (namely, the distance between the pair of opposing side walls 13 and 15) is suflicient to accommodate the submersion of a forearm as illustrated in FIG. 2, or a foot of a patient. The length (as defined by a chord extending between the ends of the longer side walls) should fall within the range of 12 to 16 inches, the depth of the reservoir should be within the range of 3 to 5 inches; the lengths of the side walls 13 and 15 should be about 3 to 5 inches and 7 to 9 inches, respectively. Thus, the water reservoir has a capacity of approximately 3 to 6 quarts. Particularly effective results have been obtained when the overall length is approximately 14 inches, the depth about 3.5 inches, and the length of side walls 13 and 15 are 4 and 8 inches, respectively. The elongated side walls 12 and 14 have similar curvature with the midpoint of each being bowed about 0.5 to 1.5 inches relative to a chord connecting the corners of each. This curvature, as has been mentioned, in combination with the overall non-symmetrical, generally triangular shape of the water reservoir provides a rigid structure for transporting water.

Formed integrally with the upper edge of the side wall 12 is a generally horizontal ledge or shelf designated by reference numeral 16. The shelf 16 provides a receptacle generally designated 17 for holding a bar of soap or the like when not in use and a pocket 18 for holding a folded, dry wash cloth for example. The soap receptacle 17 communicates by means of a groove as at 17a with the reservoir for channeling drippings from the soap into the reservoir. The ledge 16 is also provided with a generally fiat tray area 19 extending from the side of the pocket 18 to the edge of the side wall 15 along the upper edge of the side wall 12.

About the entire upper periphery of the basin there is formed a rim having an overturned lip and designated 20. The rim 20 extends continuously about the upper edge of the side walls 13, 14 and as well as about the outer periphery of the shelf 16 to define an overall perimeter for the wash basin which is generally rectangular, although each section is slightly arcuate. At the upper edges of the opposing side walls 13 and 15, the rim is formed into expanded recesses or handles 22 and 23 for easily accommodating the up-turned fingers of a person desiring to carry the basin. Preferably, the handle 22 is formed approximately midway along the side Wall 15; whereas the center of the handle 23 lies to the side of the midsection of the wall 13 and toward the shelf 16 for providing balance in carrying the wash basin when filled with water.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the forearm of a patient is easily accommodated in the water reservoir of the basin 10; and because it is preferably about three and one-half inches deep, the forearm may easily be submerged for rinsing, washing, or soaking while gripping the handle 22 from the top side with the fingers on the hand of the submerged arm for support.

Turning now to FIG. 3, the over-turned lip 20 has a peripheral skirt 20a which extends in a generally vertical direction as seen in side section for that portion which extends along the side walls 12 and 14. At the right side of FIG. 3, there is shown the narrowing portion of the shelf 19 and a continuation of the peripheral skirt 20a which extends about the shelf 16. It will be observed that the side walls 12 and 14 extend slightly outwardly proceeding away from the base 11. This inclination is to facilitate nesting of a number of basins for shipment or storage.

In FIG. 4, the handles 22 and 23 are seen in transverse cross section; and it will be observed that the top of these handles are fiat and extend in the same place as the upper surface of the peripheral rim 20. That is, the handles are formed as an integral part of the rim 20. The channel 17a of the soap receptacle 17 for draining the receptacle through the side wall 12 is seen in elevation. Again, the side walls 13 and 15 are inclined.

In FIG. 5, there is seen the formation of the side wall 13 in side elevation together with its rounded corner as at 13a for forming a continuation between the side walls 12 and 13.

Having thus described in detail a preferred embodiment of the inventive wash basin, it will be appreciated that due to the inclination of the side walls 12, 13, 14 and 15, as well as the skirt 20a of the rim 20, a number of identical basins may be nested for storage or shipment. Further, due to the arcuate shape of the side walls as seen in horizontal section together with the generally triangular formation of the water reservoir portion of the basin, there is achieved an overall rigidity of structure which is highly resistant to diagonal or other deformation when the basin is filled with water and carried by the handles. The basin is durable and rugged enough for repeated use by a single and it is, therefore, intended that all such modifications and substitutions be covered as they are embraced within the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A disposable wash basin for use in hospitals or the like comprising a body formed of a single piece of thin plastic material, said body having an elongated, generally flat base for resting on a surface and first and second pairs of opposing sidewalls extending upwardly from said base to define a water reservoir having a depth within the range of about 3 to 5 inches and a capacity of about 3 to 6 quarts of liquid, each of said first pair of opposing sidewalls being longer than said second pair and being arcuate when viewed in horizontal cross section, one of said second pair of sidewalls being substantially longer than the other of said second pair to provide a generally triangular plan Shape to said reservoir, a ledge integral with the upper edge of one of said first pair of sidewalls and extending outwardly from said reservoir, said ledge being adapted to support articles used in bathing and extending substantially the entire length of said one of said first pair of sidewalls and being narrow at one end and wider at the other end and forming a recessed soap dish at said wider end, the upper periphery about said ledge, the other one of said first pair of sidewalls and both of said second pair of sidewalls having a generally rectangular shape with outwardly-bowed sides, said upper periphery further providing an integral downturned rim having an outer peripheral skirt extending about the entire upper peripheral boundary of said basin and said ledge and defining a downwardly-facing groove along said boundary, said groove being enlarged adjacent each of said second pair of sidewalls to define first and second handles for lifting the basin, all of said sidewalls further being outwardly inclined from said base whereby one basin may be nested with another.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein said ledge defines a soap receptacle adjacent the wider edge thereof and a channel through the topof said one of said first pair of sidewalls for communicating the bottom of said soap receptacle with the water reservoir.

3. The structure of claim 1 wherein said plastic material has a thickness in the range of approximately 0.02 to 0.2 in.

4. The structure of claim 1 wherein each of the opposing sidewalls of said first pair has a length within the range of about 12 to 16 inches and is bowed outwardly from said reservoir at its midpoint about 0.5 to 1.5 in.

relative to a chord connecting its ends.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 907,261 12/1908 Martin 4l66 1,060,236 4/1913 Dodge 4182 2,977,603 4/ 1961 Dykes 4112 3,246,344 4/1966 Saulson 4112 3,460,164 8/1969 Patton 41 12 3,508,282 4/1970 Phillips, Jr. 4*166 FOREIGN PATENTS 671,320 4/1952 Great Britain 4l66 992,403 5/ 1965 Great Britain 4-l 12 1,376,446 9/1964 France 4l66 1,075,302 2/ 1960 Germany 4l66 LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner D. B. MASSENBERG, Assistant Examiner 

